The earliest form of musical theater in America appeared in the form of Burlesque shows: vulgar jokes, the use of chorus girls, highly choreographed dancing and ornate costumes.
The success of Gilbert and Sullivan, as well as Johan Strauss, forced American playwrights to delve into the world of operettas. At first, they were simple imitations of European performances, until William Spencer's 1886 operetta The Little Tycoon. American playwrights began to dominate the musical stage through the turn of the century.
Musical comedies were not new to the world, but the American version changed the way musical comedies are seen and made. Prior to the American influence, musical comedies were not well respected. Playwright George M. Cohan, considered the father of the American musical comedy, created plays that were uniquely American after the turn of the twentieth century: settings, characters and dialog were identifiably "American." And more importantly, Cohan paved the way for the legitimacy of musical comedies.